Shire of Waroona to seek funding support for Johnston Road heavy haulage route after business case endorsed

An almost $100 million plan to transform a narrow country road in the South West into a major heavy haulage route is hoped to improve safety, efficiency and productivity in the region. The Waroona Shire is hoping for Federal Government support for substantial upgrades to Johnston Road and its diversion away from Yarloop in a bid to provide transporters with a new heavy haulage route between Forrest Highway and South Western Highway. The route was one of four potential options put to councillors at the February 28 meeting, with the diversion through via Bristol Road, Somers Road and Bancell Road given the green light. While it is estimated to set the shire back almost $98.7 million, it is predicted to bring benefits to the tune of $156.9 million, with the shire now seeking Federal Government funding to make it a reality. Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said heavy haulage operators had been looking for a new RAV route for their vehicles between Forrest Highway and South Western Highway. “Regionally, there are two major roads for heavy haulage vehicles — Greenlands Road (in Pinjarra) and Marriot Road (in Wellesley),” he said. According to Mr Walmsley, discussions between the council and stakeholders about the route were still in their “preliminary” stages. Consulting firm Urbis in its business case said a number of upcoming developments — including Frontier Energy’s proposed solar and green hydrogen facility — were expected to “elevate the strategic significance” of Johnston Road. However, the firm described its current state as “narrowed, unmarked and has soft shoulders with no passive safety features”. The report said heavy traffic levels were already negatively impacting both the road conditions and the Yarloop townsite. It would only get worse, with levels predicted to increase by 46 per cent over the next three years. Harvey Shire president Paul Gillett supported the move to divert heavy vehicles away from the town. “There is a lot more traffic on the roads now and if you can separate heavy haulage from other traffic as best as you can, it will certainly have benefits,” he said. In her report to councillors prior to the meeting, infrastructure and development services manager Karen Oborn said the Peel Development Commission had provided the Shire with $40,000 to conduct a freight study on Johnston Road and develop a business case, with the former being completed last financial year.